President Halimah and PM Lee express sadness over fatal bus accident in Saudi Arabia
President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have expressed deep sadness over the bus accident in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, that killed one Singaporean pilgrim and injured several others on Tuesday (20 March).
The bus was carrying mostly Singaporeans who were performing minor pilgrimage (umrah) when it met with an accident in Mecca on Tuesday morning (Saudi time).
“I feel very sad for our pilgrims and their families and I pray for their well-being and peace of mind during this very difficult period,” said Halimah in a post on her Facebook page.
Expressing deep sadness in a post on his Facebook page, Lee extended his deepest sympathies to those involved in the accident. He added that The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) is working together with the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to assist the next-of-kin of the deceased, as well as the injured and their families.
In a post on Facebook, Muis said it understands that the passengers are pilgrims managed by local travel agency, Abu Bakar Travel Services.
Expressing its deepest sympathies to the affected pilgrims, Muis said the injured have been sent to hospitals in Mecca to receive medical attention.
Muis is working with the MFA to help those affected. Its Consul-General in Jeddah has visited the injured at the King Faisal Hospital, and the Singapore Consulate in Jeddah will continue to provide the necessary support to the injured and their families, as well as to the deceased and his next of kin.
